1st Source Donates $20,000 for Reading Program in South Bend Schools

08/21/2012

South Bend, IN – 1st Source Bank has donated $20,000 to the South Bend Education Foundation to help fund a reading program in eight primary schools in South Bend, including Darden, Hamilton, McKinley, Monroe, Nuner, Swanson, Tarkington and Warren. Jim Seitz, 1st Source Executive Vice President, presented the donation to Sy Barker, President-Elect of the South Bend Education Foundation and Susan Warner, Executive Director.

“1st Source recognizes the importance of teaching kids to read at an early age,” said Seitz. “We’re excited to partner with South Bend schools on this program and look forward to the impact it will have on students for years to come.”

The donation will assist with the training and mentoring of 113 teachers from kindergarten through second grade. Once fully implemented, the program is expected to increase the number of successful readers in South Bend schools and reduce the number of students who do not pass the ISTEP or graduate from high school.

“Student progress in reading is reflected in the state ISTEP scores and our partners are a big part of the annual increases being reflected at every elementary school,” said Warner. “Thank you to 1st Source for looking to the future and donating to the reading training program.”